Slip Sink?

A community member, recently offered my department a kiln and slip sink. The kiln is in good shape, but small, and no nearly as good as the one we already have. Now the the slip sink, I'm not familiar with. From the looks of the photos, that were sent to me, it looks like it is used in slip casting. The thing is eight foot long, so I doubt I'd have room for it. Am I correct, in its use?

My question is, why do people keep offering me ceramic-related things, I don't need. I've been offered several kilns over the years, but never a potter's wheel, which is what I'd really like. Stop taunting me Clay Gods!!!

A community member, recently offered my department a kiln and slip sink. The kiln is in good shape, but small, and no nearly as good as the one we already have. Now the the slip sink, I'm not familiar with. From the looks of the photos, that were sent to me, it looks like it is used in slip casting. The thing is eight foot long, so I doubt I'd have room for it. Am I correct, in its use?

My question is, why do people keep offering me ceramic-related things, I don't need. I've been offered several kilns over the years, but never a potter's wheel, which is what I'd really like. Stop taunting me Clay Gods!!!

Take them graciously, sell them on Ebay or Craigslist, and use the profits to get that wheel!!

BENZINE;
Two points;
1. If you need wheels, check with the other art teachers in your division. Most art rooms will have one wheel kicking around. See if you can "borrow" a few.I had six in my room at one point, but couldn't keep up with all the centreing I had to do. I was like the guy spinning plates on Ed Sullivan. Am I dating myself.
2.Dealing with free equipment is tricky. You can't really sell it for a profit, as we are not in that business. We are in the business of teaching kids.Tell the person a polite "no thank-you", to both the kiln and the sink, and then move on.
Someone else may be able to use them.
TJR.

BENZINE;Two points;1. If you need wheels, check with the other art teachers in your division. Most art rooms will have one wheel kicking around. See if you can "borrow" a few.I had six in my room at one point, but couldn't keep up with all the centreing I had to do. I was like the guy spinning plates on Ed Sullivan. Am I dating myself.2.Dealing with free equipment is tricky. You can't really sell it for a profit, as we are not in that business. We are in the business of teaching kids.Tell the person a polite "no thank-you", to both the kiln and the sink, and then move on.Someone else may be able to use them.TJR.

Would a "Division" be the equivalent of a district? If that's the case, my room is the only one, with potter's wheels. The elementary buildings don't use them. One of the elementary teachers, just got a kiln recently.

That is a moot point anyway. The wheel, isn't for my classroom, it's for my home studio, which leads me to my next point.

I agree, selling equipment is tricky. I'm still trying to get rid of an old kickwheel from my classroom, that is somewhat beat, and just too big for the space. The Business Manger, doesn't really want to deal with selling it right now, and doesn't want to put it in storage either. So it's just there, right now.

Since posting this, I have potentially found someone, who might want the sink.

BENZINE;Two points;1. If you need wheels, check with the other art teachers in your division. Most art rooms will have one wheel kicking around. See if you can "borrow" a few.I had six in my room at one point, but couldn't keep up with all the centreing I had to do. I was like the guy spinning plates on Ed Sullivan. Am I dating myself.2.Dealing with free equipment is tricky. You can't really sell it for a profit, as we are not in that business. We are in the business of teaching kids.Tell the person a polite "no thank-you", to both the kiln and the sink, and then move on.Someone else may be able to use them.TJR.

Would a "Division" be the equivalent of a district? If that's the case, my room is the only one, with potter's wheels. The elementary buildings don't use them. One of the elementary teachers, just got a kiln recently.

That is a moot point anyway. The wheel, isn't for my classroom, it's for my home studio, which leads me to my next point.

I agree, selling equipment is tricky. I'm still trying to get rid of an old kickwheel from my classroom, that is somewhat beat, and just too big for the space. The Business Manger, doesn't really want to deal with selling it right now, and doesn't want to put it in storage either. So it's just there, right now.

Since posting this, I have potentially found someone, who might want the sink.

Thanks for your posts folks.

Benzine;You are correct. A school division would be the same as a district. You would have 25-50 schools in a school div. I guess it's different down there. All art rooms have kilns that are vented, not all art rooms have sinks, or even an art specialist who can run a kiln.Different country, man.TJR.

BENZINE;Two points;1. If you need wheels, check with the other art teachers in your division. Most art rooms will have one wheel kicking around. See if you can "borrow" a few.I had six in my room at one point, but couldn't keep up with all the centreing I had to do. I was like the guy spinning plates on Ed Sullivan. Am I dating myself.2.Dealing with free equipment is tricky. You can't really sell it for a profit, as we are not in that business. We are in the business of teaching kids.Tell the person a polite "no thank-you", to both the kiln and the sink, and then move on.Someone else may be able to use them.TJR.

Would a "Division" be the equivalent of a district? If that's the case, my room is the only one, with potter's wheels. The elementary buildings don't use them. One of the elementary teachers, just got a kiln recently.

That is a moot point anyway. The wheel, isn't for my classroom, it's for my home studio, which leads me to my next point.

I agree, selling equipment is tricky. I'm still trying to get rid of an old kickwheel from my classroom, that is somewhat beat, and just too big for the space. The Business Manger, doesn't really want to deal with selling it right now, and doesn't want to put it in storage either. So it's just there, right now.

Since posting this, I have potentially found someone, who might want the sink.

Thanks for your posts folks.

Benzine;You are correct. A school division would be the same as a district. You would have 25-50 schools in a school div. I guess it's different down there. All art rooms have kilns that are vented, not all art rooms have sinks, or even an art specialist who can run a kiln.Different country, man.TJR.

Yeah, districts are a little different, at least the smaller ones. Each district generally has a couple elementary (Pre-K-5th or 6th Grade), then a Junior High/ Middle School 6 or 7th-8 or 9th Grade, then High School 9 or 10th-12th grade. Larger districts, like those in the cities, would have far more elementary buildings, and then multiple Junior High and High Schools. I've never taught in a city school, so I don't know how much they work with the other schools in their district. I can tell you that, I taught in my first district for six years, and there were still teachers, I didn't know, or have ever talked to.

As I mentioned, my middle school/ elementary co-worker, just got a kiln, in his elementary room. There was one, before he took over, and his predecessor stopped using it. The district then sold it. So he'd have to bring all his elementary ceramic projects to my room to fire them. He loaded that thing to the brim. Luckily, a completely different community member, from the one I mentioned, had a kiln they wanted to get rid of. And the district was nice enough to let him hook it up, in a school utility room.

School districts don't even ask if we can run a kiln. Two of the districts I've taught at, have had programmable models. Not to say, a person couldn't misfire those. One of the districts had a kiln sitter, with a timer shut off as back up. Easier to mess up a firing with that.

my guess would be it is actually a slip table--used to pour molds on and to reclaim lost or poured out slip. Many of them included pumps in the slip tank that went underneath as well as a motor and mixing paddle.

my guess would be it is actually a slip table--used to pour molds on and to reclaim lost or poured out slip. Many of them included pumps in the slip tank that went underneath as well as a motor and mixing paddle.

Yes indeed. That's what the one, that was offered to me, looks like, though it has the pump and such that you mentioned.

I've had "Slip Sinks" in studios I've used in the past. However, those were just sinks with raised drains, so that the heavier clay, would settle to the bottom, and the water could go down the drain.

what you described are more commonly referred to as "slop sinks", and are basically a really rudimentary (and effective) sink trap.

I believe the term "Slop Sink" is more accurate. I'm just in the habit of calling it a slip sink, because, that's where the students, got their slip, and it is less confusing to call it as such.

Though, to be honest, I think the name should be the "I reached in to grab some slip, and ended up with several long strands of hair, that aren't mine" sink, but that doesn't really flow off the tongue well.